Shotgun drum magazine

ABSTRACT

A magazine for shotgun shells for use with a shotgun including an open frame housing having a generally flat front and a generally flat rear portion connected and separated by spacers. The flat front and flat rear portions each include an annular groove, the annular groove forming an annular path along which the shells travel. A rotatably mounted cog wheel for carrying the shells along the annular path and a coil spring for rotating the cog wheel such that shells can be manually loaded into the magazine against a force generated against the spring and automatically dispensed by the spring.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

U.S. Provisional Application for Patent No. 60/928,219, filed May 8,2007, with title “Shotgun Drum Magazine” which is hereby incorporated byreference. Applicant claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. par.119(e)(i).

STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSOREDRESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to magazines for supplying shells to a shotgun.

2. Brief Description of Prior Art

Conventional shotguns have a limited number of shells that can beloaded, usually five or six shells. The limited number of shots is notadequate for certain applications including military use and targetshooting, for example.

As will be seen from the subsequent description, the preferredembodiments of the present invention overcome disadvantages of the priorart.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, a drum magazine is disclosedfor use in conjunction with a shotgun. More particularly, the drummagazine for shotgun shells is for use with a shotgun and includes anopen frame housing having a generally flat front and a generally flatrear portion connected and separated by spacers. The flat front and flatrear portions each include annular grooves, the annular grooves formingan annular path along which the shells travel. The drum magazine furtherincludes a rotatably mounted cog wheel for carrying the shells along theannular path and a coil spring for rotating the cog wheel such thatshells can be manually loaded into the magazine against a forcegenerated against the spring and automatically dispensed by the spring.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a shotgundrum magazine.

FIG. 2 is a partial view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partial view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is another partial view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the magazine follower.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In accordance with the present invention, a shell magazine 10 for use inconjunction with a shotgun 12 is disclosed. The shell magazine 10includes a generally flat front plate 20 and a generally flat rear plate22 spaced apart by at least three (3) spacers 18 and held together bybolts 19. The magazine 10 includes a front groove 24 that cooperateswith a projection on the shotgun 12 to partially lock the magazine 10 inplace on the gun 12. The rear plate 22 includes a catch 30 thatcooperates with a pivotable finger 32 to hold the rear portion of themagazine 10 in the gun 12.

In FIG. 1, a portion of the gun 12 is shown cut-away for clarity. As canbe seen, a shell 100A is presented at the top of the magazine 10. Whenfiring the gun 12, the shell 100A will slide up ramp 40 and into theupper portion of the gun 12 for firing through barrel 42 of the gun 12.The upper portion of the magazine 10 includes a pivotable clip 50 thatserves the dual purpose of holding the shells 100A and the magazine 10when it is not mounted to the gun 12 and releasing the shells 100A whenthe magazine 10 is locked into the gun 12.

FIG. 2 shows details of the magazine 10 and the front plate 20. The rearplate 22 has been removed to expose the inner spring drive 200 of themagazine 10. FIG. 6 shows further details of the inner spring drive 200.The spring drive 200 includes a coil spring 202 that can be wound bymanually pressing shells 100 into the magazine 10. The spring 202 isaround and attached to the fixed axle 204 and contained in springretainer housing 208. The spring 202 drives two cog wheels 210 thatinclude aligned shell engaging grooves 214 that engage the bodies of theshells 100 that are loaded in the magazine 10. The front plate 20includes annular groove 218 that defines a track 218A that provides apath for shells 100 to follow as they are loaded into the magazine 10and as they are released during firing of the gun 12. It will beunderstood that the rear plate 22 includes an aligned and cooperatinggrove 219 that contains the opposite ends of each shell 100. The grooves218, 219 combined form the path along which shells 100 travel. The track218A in the annular groove 218 is for receipt of a rim (not shown) of astandard shell 100.

FIG. 3 shows a view of the magazine 10 and front plate 20 with the rearplate 22 and cogs 210 removed. The view shows the annular groove 218that provides a nearly circular path for shells 100 terminating in astraight path portion 220 in a feed tower portion 224 of the magazine10. The pivotable follower arm 300 is normally attached to the cogs 210for motion therewith and includes a cut-away 302A (shown in FIGS. 4-7)for communication with the cogs 210. With the cogs 210 removed, itbecomes clear that a spacer 320 helps maintain the cogs 210 in spacedrelation on the axle 204.

The follower arm 300 includes a follower 330 having a body 332, the body332 having a pivot arm 333 extending from one end and an extension 335extending from the opposite end. The body 332 is sized to match a shelland will fit within a shell groove on the cog wheels 210. A nose axel336 is rotatably attached to the pivot arm 333, and bearings 302 coverthe axel 336 and the extension 335. In the preferred embodiment, thefollower 330 is shaped similar to a shell 100 and the axel 336 andbearings 302 rotate freely along the path 218 and follow the shells inpath 218 and drives the shells 100 from the magazine 10 during firing ofthe gun 12. FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the magazine follower 330. Thefollower 330 is mounted to the arm 300 and the arm 300 is rotatablymounted to the cogs 210.

FIG. 4 shows another partial cut-away view of the magazine 10. FIG. 4shows shells 100 loaded into the magazine 10. As a user presses shells100 into the feed tower portion 224, the bearings 302 is forcedbackwards, counterclockwise, as shown in FIG. 4, winding the spring 202.The pivotable clip. 50 maintains the shells 100 in the magazine 10. Thetrack 218A as previously discussed is further defined along the feedtower portion 224 and terminates at point “P”. The tower portion 224further includes an end ramp 225 to assist in releasing the shell 100.

FIG. 5 shows the magazine 10 with all the shells 100 dispensed such thatthe bearings 302 is at the top of the feed tower portion 224. Whenshells 100 are forced into the magazine 10, it winds the spring 202which can then return the energy stored as it drives the shells 100 backout of the magazine 10.

Although the description above contains many specificities, these shouldnot be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merelyproviding illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodimentsof this invention.

It would be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications bemade to the embodiments described above without departing from the scopeof the present invention. Thus the scope of the invention should bedetermined by the appended claims in the formal application and theirlegal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

1. A shotgun drum magazine for supplying shotgun shells to a shotgun,said shotgun drum magazine comprising: an open frame housing having agenerally flat front plate and a generally flat rear plate connected andseparated by spacers, bolts in said spacers and openings between thespacers, the flat front plate including a first annular groove providinga track for shotgun shell rims and said track terminates at an end rampand the flat rear plate including a second annular groove aligned withthe first annular groove, said second annular groove receiving a shotgunshell end opposite said rim, a rotatably mounted cog wheel having outputgrooves sized to engage the shotgun shells for carrying shotgun shellsalong the annular path, and said cog including a cut-away, and a coilspring for rotating the cogwheel such that shotgun shells can bemanually loaded into the magazine against a force generated against saidspring and automatically dispensed by said spring.
 2. The shotgun drummagazine as recited in claim 1, wherein said cog wheel includes afollower arm, said follower arm having a first end pivotably mounted onsaid cog wheel and said follower arm having a second end carrying a bodycarried in one of said first and second annular grooves.
 3. The shotgundrum magazine as recited in claim 1, wherein said end ramp connects to ashotgun, and shotgun shells exit said magazine through said end ramp. 4.The shotgun drum magazine as recited in claim 1, wherein said flat frontplate includes a slot that cooperates with a projection on a shotgun tosupport said magazine on a shotgun.
 5. The shotgun drum magazine asrecited in claim 1, wherein said cog wheel includes a body rotatablewith said cog wheel, wherein said body is carried in said first andsecond annular grooves and wherein said body is rotatable within saidfirst and second annular grooves.
 6. The shotgun drum magazine asrecited in claim 5, wherein said body is carried on an end of an armpivotably mounted to said cog wheel.
 7. A gun drum magazine forsupplying gun shells to a gun, said gun drum magazine comprising: ahousing having a flat front and a flat rear plate connected andseparated by spacers, the flat front plate including a first annulargroove providing an annular track for shell rims and said annular trackterminates at an end ramp and the flat rear plate including a secondannular groove aligned with the first annular groove, said secondannular groove receiving a shell end opposite said rim, a rotatablymounted cog wheel having cut out grooves sized to engage shells forcarrying shells along the annular track, and a spring for rotating thecog wheel such that shells can be loaded into the magazine against aforce generated by said spring and dispensed by said spring.
 8. The gundrum magazine as recited in claim 7, wherein said cog wheel includes afollower arm, said follower arm having a first end pivotably mounted onsaid cog wheel and said follower arm having a second end carrying a bodycarried in one of said first and second annular grooves.
 9. The gun drummagazine as recited in claim 8, wherein said front plate includes a slotthat cooperates with a projection on a gun to support said magazine on agun.
 10. The gun drum magazine as recited in claim 8, wherein said endramp connects to a gun, and shells exit said magazine through said endramp.
 11. The gun drum magazine as recited in claim 8, wherein said bodyis rotatable with said cog wheel and wherein said body is rotatablewithin said first and second annular grooves.
 12. A shotgun drummagazine for supplying shotgun shells to a shotgun, said shotgun drummagazine comprising: a housing having a flat front and a flat rear plateconnected and separated by spacers, the flat front plate including afirst annular groove providing an annular track for shell rims and saidannular track terminates at an end ramp and the flat rear plateincluding a second annular groove aligned with the first annular groove,said second annular groove, receiving a shell end opposite said rim, arotatably mounted cog wheel having cut out grooves sized to engage theshells for carrying the shells along the path, and a coil spring forrotating the cogwheel such that shells can be loaded into the magazineagainst a force generated by said spring and dispensed by said spring.13. The shotgun drum magazine as recited in claim 12, wherein said cogwheel includes a body rotatable with said cog wheel, wherein said bodyis carried in said first and second annular grooves and wherein saidbody is rotatable within said first and second annular grooves.
 14. Theshotgun drum magazine as recited in claim 13, wherein said body iscarried on an end of an arm pivotably mounted to said cog wheel.
 15. Theshotgun drum magazine as recited in claim 12, wherein said cog wheelincludes a follower arm, said follower arm having a first end mounted onsaid cog wheel and said follower arm having a second end carrying a bodycarried in one of said first and second annular grooves.
 16. The shotgundrum magazine as recited in claim 15, wherein said front plate includesa slot that cooperates with a projection on a shotgun to support saidmagazine on a shotgun.
 17. The shotgun drum magazine as recited in claim15, wherein said end ramp connects to a gun, and shells exit saidmagazine through said end ramp.
 18. A shotgun drum magazine forsupplying shotgun shells to a shotgun, said shotgun drum magazinecomprising: a housing having a flat first and a flat second plateconnected and separated by spacers separated by openings, said secondplate defining a track for receiving a rim of a shell, wherein saidtrack connects to an end ramp, the first plate including a first annulargroove providing an annular track for shell rims and said annular trackterminates at an end ramp and the second plate including a secondannular groove aligned with the first annular groove, said secondannular groove receiving a shell and opposite said rim, a rotatablymounted cog wheel having cut out grooves sized to engage the shells forcarrying the shells along the path, a coil spring for rotating thecogwheel such that shells can be loaded into the magazine against aforce generated by said spring and dispensed by said spring, and afollower body carried in one of said first and second annular grooves.19. The shotgun drum magazine as recited in claim 18, wherein said endramp connects to a gun, and shells exit said magazine through said endramp.
 20. The shotgun as recited in claim 18, wherein said first plateincludes a slot that cooperates with a projection on a shotgun tosupport said magazine on a shotgun.